Klarinet Archive - Posting 001174.txt from 2002/06

From: "Kevin Callahan" <kionon@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] Illiteratates - And question
Date: Sun, 30 Jun 2002 23:45:37 -0400

----- Original Message -----
From: "Gene Nibbelin" <gnibbelin@-----.com>
Subject: RE: [kl] Illiteratates - And question

> Kevin -
>
> I used the term "American" to exclude non-Americans on the list.

Ah.

> Here is another bit of advice from a guy who is 4 times as old as you are.
>
> NEVER ASSUME !!!!!!!!!

Okay, yeah, I feel sheepish. And I apologize. This is a great example of my
inexperience (as I was trying to convey in another thread on the list).

> My early ancestors came from England in the Mid-1600's. (Maybe they were
on
> "standby" for the Mayflower and missed the cut.) The first governor of
> Massachusetts was supposed to be an ancestor. (That jackass introduced
the
> infamous "blue laws" in Massachusetts.) Another ancestor fought in the
War
> of 1812 and applied for his pension when he was 80 year old.

Wow, I wish I knew more about my family, notwithstanding my next little
statement of family trivia.

> Some of my Irish ancestors arrived here in the mid 1800's - maybe on the
> same boat as some of the elder Callahans.

Actually, my grandfather came over. We have a family tomb near Dublin. My
grandmother on my mother's side took a picture of it on her trip to Ireland.
Now, I think like five people have to die and not get put in it for me to
have a spot reserved. Oh, and I didn't want to seem stuffy about my last
name. It's just a pet peeve of mine. The whole military thing. You can get
away with calling me Callahan if you've "earned" the right to do it.

> I hope that you become a great English teacher. The country certainly
needs
> them.

Thank you. Music is my secondary teaching field, just in case. Though I
hardly think I'll have a problem finding a job.

> Our daughters had terrible English teachers back in the 70's and
> 80's. They both write very well today, thanks to my tutoring and
guidance.

That's sad. I had terrible teachers back in elementary school, and I was at
a private school. Can you believe they didn't even teach me phonics? My love
of writing (and of teaching) actually led me to relearn my basics on my own
in the ninth grade. Mrs. K was a real sport about that, even let me into
PreAP Freshman English although I made Cs up until the very end. Happy to
report it was As after that for the rest of my HS career.

Kevin Callahan

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